Blake-class cruiser
|module2= |Ship length= oa pp |Ship beam= |Ship draught= |Ship propulsion=2 shafts 3 cylinder triple expansion steam engines 8 boilers natural draught, forced draught |Ship speed= natural draught forced draught |Ship capacity=1800 t coal |Ship complement=570 |Ship armament=2× BL Mk VI guns 10× QF 6 in guns 16× QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss 4× 14 inch torpedo tubes |Ship armour=Deck: 9.2 inch gunshields: Conning tower: }} }} The Blake class was a two-ship class of first-class protected cruiser built around 1890 for the Royal Navy. Design The Blake class were designed under the supervision of William White, shortly after he had become Director of Naval Construction. They were planned to combine the roles of trade protection with the ability to operate with the fleet when required. As such, the design requirement combined high speed and long range. Unlike the previous class of first-class cruisers for the Royal Navy, the ''Orlando'' class, the new class were protected cruisers, with protection provided by a full-length armoured deck with no side armour. They were the first class of first-class cruisers built for the Royal Navy.Brown 1997, p. 135. Main gun armament was similar to that of the Orlando''s, consisting of two Mark VI breech loading guns mounted in single mounts fore and aft on the ship's centreline, and ten 6 in (152 mm) QF guns, of which six were mounted in single mounts on the ships' top deck and the remaining four mounted behind armoured casemates on the ships' main deck. Secondary armament consisted on sixteen 3 pounder guns. Four 14 inch torpedo tubes completed the ships' armament, with two submerged tubes and two above the waterline. The arched armoured deck was at approximately the level of the waterline, with a thickness of at the centre and at the sides, while the ships' conning tower was protected by of armour. The 9.2 inch guns were behind gunshields while the casemates protecting the main deck 6 inch guns were 6 inch thick. Machinery consisted of 4 three-cylinder triple expansion engines fed by six double-ended cylindrical boilers and driving two shafts. The engines generated under natural draught and with forced draught, giving a speed of with forced draught and with natural draught. The forward two engines could be disconnected for longer endurance at low speeds. of coal could be carried, double the fuel of the ''Orlando''s, giving a range of at , which was much less than the expected. Service The two ships were obsolete by the outbreak of the First World War, and served as depot ships. HMS ''Blenheim had the more active career, supporting the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Battle of Gallipoli, and repatriating three dignitaries to their home countries after their deaths abroad. They were Prince Henry of Battenberg and former Canadian Prime Ministers Sir John Thompson and Sir Charles Tupper. Building Programme The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the Blake class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. Notes References * Brassey, T.A. (ed) The Naval Annual 1895 * Brown, D.K. Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. London: Caxton Editions, 1997. ISBN 1-84067-529-2. * *Chesnau, Roger and Kolesnik, Eugene (Ed.) Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905. Conway Maritime Press, 1979. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4 External links Category:Cruiser classes Blake-class cruisers